Dockside safety examination to be required on commercial fishing vessels operating more than 3 nautical miles offshore

NEW ORLEANS — The 8th Coast Guard District reminds the maritime community that a commercial fishing vessel safety exam will be required for all commercial fishing vessels operating beyond three nautical miles offshore.

The dockside exam has been administered for more than a decade on a voluntary basis, but it will be required after Oct. 16 and affects commercial fishing vessels nationwide.

The examination is free of charge and covers regulatory topics including: lifesaving equipment, communications, firefighting and various other operational readiness measures. Vessels that pass the exam are awarded a decal noting compliance with applicable regulations, which remains valid for up to two years. Currently, no fines are assessed if discrepancies are noted when a vessel receives a voluntary dockside safety exam. However, after Oct. 16, a vessel found operating beyond three nautical miles offshore without a valid decal may be subject to enforcement action.

Recently, Coast Guard Headquarters released a letter to the commercial fishing industry to explain the dockside safety exam requirements.  The notification letter and other helpful information are available at www.FishSafe.info.

Commercial fishermen in the Gulf Coast region should contact a commercial fishing vessel examiner at one of the following Coast Guard units to schedule a complimentary dockside exam:

The safety examination requirement is one of several mandates established by the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010.  Existing fishing industry vessel safety regulations may be found in 46 CFR, Part 28.